Adobe Restores Android Flash Plug In To UK Google Play

Android Flash is back in Google Play in the UK – so BBC iPlayer can keep using it

Adobe’s Android Flash plug-in has returned to the Android operating systems store, Google Play, in the UK, following pressure from its “strategic partners”, according to the BBC.

The plug-in was first removed earlier this month, in line with Adobe’s plans to phase out mobile Flash, but disappointing Android users who wanted to use web content on the platform.

The BBC, which happens to be one of these partners, requested that Adobe delay the plug-in’s removal as it currently powers the corporation’s popular online catch-up service, BBC iPlayer.

Android Flash

The application, which was one of the most popular downloads from Google Play, is only available in the UK store (obviously thanks to the BBC), but will be removed again “soon”, although no date has been set. The developer has put a disclaimer on the plug-in’s listing declaring that it will no longer be updated and that it is only certified as working with certain Android versions.

This excludes the latest version of the mobile operating system, Jelly Bean, which is currently used in the Google Nexus 7 tablet.

Adobe first announced plans to abandon the Flash platform last November in favour of developing HTML5 technologies and the BBC is reportedly working with Adobe on an alternative video player for its content.

The company said that existing plug-ins would continue to receive patches and security updates but that there would be no further development. Android had used Flash as a differentiator from the rival iOS platform, which does not support Flash as its late founder Steve Jobs believed that it was too insecure and buggy.

Steve McCaskill is deputy editor of TechWeekEurope and joined as a reporter in 2011 having previously written for Steel Media.
He covers mobile devices, telecommunications and networking, along with sports technology.

The use of mobile technology has moved quickly from the business world’s earliest adopters to those who occupy its very center. An increasing number of end users are now taking advantage of every possible mobile opportunity—including BYOD. And they expect IT to support them in accessing corporate databases and applications seamlessly and securely. At the […]

We’re on the move more than ever before: from increased global travel, to our escalating use of mobile devices on a daily basis. Let’s face it, tweeting on smartphones and browsing on tablets have become as much a part of our day-to-day routines as brushing our teeth and getting dressed. This increasingly mobile world has […]

At enterprises everywhere, private clouds are catching on. And increasingly, businesses are finding that an open hybrid approach to building private clouds is the best way to maximize their benefits—cost-effective, flexible computing and storage capacity without single-vendor limitations. That conclusion is causing IT leaders to seek out alternative providers of virtualization technology as well as […]

This white paper analyzes the key building blocks required to deploy a mobile enterprise infrastructure solution. The discussion focuses on the professional consulting and integration services designed to support a mobile enterprise infrastructure strategic initiative. This white paper provides insight into the key trends and challenges for deploying a mobile solution in today’s enterprise organization. […]